New method of sexual assault reporting to ‘kill the culture of victim blaming’: Chanel Contos

NSW Police has joined with consent education advocate Chanel Contos to launch Operation Vest, which aims to ‘kill the culture of victim blaming’.

Chanel Contos in London. Picture: Hollie Adams

A new, accessible method of reporting sexual assault has been instigated in NSW to stop repeat offenders and “kill the culture of victim blaming”.

NSW Police and consent education trailblazer Chanel Contos have teamed up to launch ‘Operation Vest’ in response to a petition initiated by Ms Contos which garnered almost 3700 testimonies of sexual abuse in teenagers.

The heart of the operation is the Sexual Assault Reporting Option (SARO) questionnaire which enables victims to share their story with the police without creating a formal report.

Through her petition, which has now been taken to the NSW government, Ms Contos learned young victims of sexual assault were hesitant to speak up.

“I saw this as an opportunity to empower victims, reduce victim blaming and normalise reporting sexual assault,” she said.

“The majority of testimonies I received were from very young people, when it could be illegal for them to be having sex. It would be a terrifying experience to have to walk into a police station and report it.”

Sexual assault victims can fill out the survey and email or post it to their nearest police station.

The informal report created by SARO will not initiate a criminal investigation, but will be used by police to develop strategies which target perpetrators. If the victim chooses not to proceed to the courts, their report informs police of a potential offender in the community, and could assist in future investigations.

Ms Contos, who herself is a sexual assault survivor, submitted a SARO and a formal complaint on Tuesday and requested no further action be taken.

“For me personally, I feel better knowing that if anyone ever reports the same perpetrator as me again, my details will be there and the police can contact me,” she said.

“I would be there to stand up for the victim, if I knew there were multiple of us doing it. Instances like that would kill the culture of victim blaming.”

Commander of the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad Detective Superintendent Stacey Maloney said she hopes SARO will empower sexual assault victims to come forward with their story.

“Re-telling your story means reliving your trauma, and NSW Police are committed to a framework that supports a victim’s pursuit for justice but also ensures they have access to services that provide the appropriate support,” she wrote in a statement.

“We want you to know that if you share your story with us, we will listen to you and if you decide to pursue legal action, immediately or anytime thereafter, we will stand by your side through that process.”